Bavaria is the name given to a monumental, bronze sand-cast 19th-century female personification of the Bavarian homeland, and by extension its strength and glory. It is one of the most well-known of the many allegorical figures of the same name produced over the centuries and appearing on coats of arms, paintings, reliefs, and statues which allude to a Bavarian terra mater.
The statue is part of an ensemble which also includes a hall of fame (Ruhmeshalle) and a stairway. It was commissioned by Ludwig I of Bavaria, with the specific design being chosen by competition. It was cast at the Munich foundry of J.B. Stiglmair between 1844 and 1850 and is the first colossal statue since Classical Antiquity to consist entirely of cast bronze. It was and is up to the present day considered a technological masterpiece. Because of its size it had to be produced in several parts; it is 18.52 meters high (60 ft. 9 in.) and weighs about 87.36 tonnes (96.2 tons). It rests on a stone base which is 8.92 meters high.
An internal circular staircase leads up to a platform in the head, where four openings in the helmet provide a view of the Theresienwiese and downtown Munich.